1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fashion accessories, and more particularly to lightweight ornaments directly attachable to a user's hair.
2. Description of the Related Art
Securing hair ornaments through use of a hair bands, combs, hairpins, barrettes, loops, styling devices, etc. is well known. Such devices often also serve the purpose of controlling or holding the user's hair in place, besides providing adornment. Such devices may also facilitate arrangement of the user's hair in a particular way to accomplish a desired style.
Most of the above-mentioned prior art hair devices generally required long hair for attachment thereto. Some devices looped around a bundle of hair, and were held on to long strands of hair. The hair band devices relied upon pressure against the user's head to remain in place. The attaching structure for the barrette, hairpin and comb devices was typically unattractive, such that attempts were being made to camouflage or hide that structure.
McKeown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,836 is representative of the prior art. McKeown disclosed a variety of hair ornament and hair control devices, providing ornamentation and attachablity to a user's hair. Typical of the prior art, McKeown disclosed large ornaments using headbands, combs, barrettes, etc. as attaching structure.
Hook-and-loop fastening systems sold under the trademark Velcro.RTM. are in widespread use on numerous consumer products, including fashion accessories. Commonly, in the prior art, half of the Velcro.RTM. fastener is glued to something attached to the user's body, and the other half is glued to an interchangeable ornament, such that the ornament may be easily changed out for a number of different looks. Velcro.RTM. is also utilized by McKeown, but it is the loop side within the attaching structure which contacts the woman's hair.
Although the prior art devices had proven generally suitable for their intended purposes, they possessed inherent deficiencies which detracted from their effectiveness. is The prior art required large clips and long hair to attach ornamentation to women's hair. The clips were unattractive, and not useable by the many women with short hair. The hair bands placed undesirable pressure against the user's head and were even known to cause headaches.
Regarding the use of the Velcro.RTM. hook-and-loop fastening system in conjunction with hair ornaments, use of both sides of the Velcro.RTM. also added bulk to the ornaments.